I think there was a reply on food prices and the cost was somewhere there.

But to give you an idea, I usually 'ration' my money. Eg, 100,000 yen for 10 days = 10,000 yen (RM400) per day. So if the first day I only used up 6,000 yen (RM240), balance 4,000 yen (RM160) will be added to my Day 2. As such, on Day 2 I will have 14,000yen to go around.

So 100,00 yen for 9 days is yes. If i minus the shopping i did in Tokyo and only count in the food, transport, entrance tickets, snacks and necessity purchase, 100,000 for 10 days was doable. But unfortunately there were much to buy you have to know your own character when it comes to spending.

Estimated food price:
Ramen/ soba noodles:
400-600yen (RM16-RM24) is considered cheap.
700-800+yen (RM28 and above) is considered reasonable/ average.
1,000yen+ (RM40+ and above) is expensive.

You can even find 100yen sushi around but these places are usually very packed and you'll have to queue for your turn. Queue duration depends on whether you visit which branch/ outlet and what time of the day you're there.

Cheaper alternatives come in the form of konbini bentou (convenient store meal box) eg. FAMIMA (Family Mart), 7-11, MiniStop etc. Just to cite an example - in konbini, you can enjoy a set of Karaage Bentou (4-5pcs of regular sized chicken pieces, rice and 2-3 side dishes) for the estimated price of 400-450yen. If you convert, yes, its not cheap but hey you're in Japan. That is the living standard of the Japanese. You will not be able to get a Karaage Bentou set for that price if you eat in a restaurant.

In fact for an average Japanese, if you spend RM400 (10,000yen) in a day, that's considered a lot.

So assuming you do a simple calculation for 1 day expenditure:
-> Breakfast at Doutor: grab a set of sandwich + coffee @ 500yen
-> Lunch: ramen place @ 1,000yen
-> Teatime: dessert place/ cafe @ 1,000yen
-> Dinner: Soba/ rice set (donburi) @ 1,000yen
-> Snacks/ supper @ 500yen (eg shop in FAMIMA)
-> Transport for the day cost @ 1,000yen (depending on where you go)
-> Misc expenses @ 1,000yen

TOTAL: 6,000yen = RM240
Perhaps set this as the minimum allocation per day and check how much balance you have everyday. On the last 2-3 days of your trip, SPLURGE

Should set a higher amount on food because all the meals, snacks and desserts in Japan is simply 一番 (ichiban)!

Definitely enough for basic stuffs. You can refer to my calculations above!

As long as you don't over shop. Or if you need to buy a lot of stuffs, swipe your CC and save the cash. Most restaurants do not accept card and transportation will definitely need cash.

Ever consider AirBnB? Or, what about staying in a temple in Nara. My apologies if your religion is different/ non permissible etc.

While I have not been to Kyoto/ Osaka yet, I have received many recommendations to actually stay in a Temple to experience the way of life of the monks. It is pricey because all food is purely prepared by the monks themselves and its very well done. Wake up early in the morning and see the monks do their ceremonies/ chant/ prayer.

And in fact, 1 of my friend said his best meal (ever) in Japan was in one of the temple he stayed in Mt. Koya. Consider this option if you're keen/ interested

This post has been edited by sweet_pez: Feb 27 2017, 02:09 PM

Uhurhur I love Doutor. For breakfast, I still find eating in Yoshinoya etc is a little heavy hahahaha so personally I'd hit up the nearby Doutor or just grab something from the konbini. But yes, places like Yoshinoya is convenient (some run 24hours! was so surprised when i found out) and value for money.

Hi, you gotta get your Hakone roundtrip pass from Shinjuku station. Buy from Shinjuku station. Hakone is not like Disneyland whereby you get a pass from a ticketing booth at the entrance and then go in.

Buying a round trip pass saved you time and money. I would suggest you top up a little to ride the Romancecar which is faster than transiting the trains. I did the latter (due to lack of experience) and end up spending 3 hours to get to Hakone! There was so much time lost

As for why should you buy the tickets in Shinjuku station beforehand, its because:
- There are limitation to tickets. During peak season, tickets may finish early.
- The ticketing booth is not open 24/7, and I think it operates from 9am or 10am onwards. However train starts operation as early as 5 or 6am. You can get a good head start with the tickets on hand.

Wah really? So you'll be in 2 places in a week? There's so much to Tokyo I did 10 days in Tokyo and still didn't mange to cover a lot places haha. My turn to return to Tokyo in 2018!

Anyway since you're looking for food, you may want to check this out:

https://guide.michelin.sg/en/michelin-starr...budget-in-tokyo

And depending on the period you're in Japan, look forward to any possible Matsuri (festival) that will be held during your time there. It'll definitely be fun and worth experiencing

This post has been edited by sweet_pez: Feb 28 2017, 12:10 PM

Solo travelling! I'm thinking of doing one too, but probably to Kyoto-Osaka. Perhaps next year or something... at least till I've mastered some Japanese to have decent conversations

Early June will be the start of summer, but its still in transition from spring to summer so it shouldn't be very hot yet. Just be more alert around some areas like Roppongi when you're there at night. All the best in your travel, and most importantly, have fun!

Looks decent to me, but just a recommendation - you may want to do Ginza on a weekend because from 11am onwards, the Chuo Dori (street) landmark: Uniqlo, GU - is closed and pedestrians can stroll around, take photos etc. Its one of the main reason I keep going back to Ginza whenever I'm in Tokyo

Some places that you may want to consider exploring if you've never been:
- Shibuya (crossing, Hachiko, Shibuya 109 etc)
- Tokyo Tower
- Meiji Shrine & Yoyogi park (next to each other)
- Nakano Broadway (nearby Ueno)
- Tokyo Station, Imperial Palace (nearby as well)

Unless you have a full day to spare, otherwise I would not recommend side trips like Kamakura.

This post has been edited by sweet_pez: Mar 1 2017, 12:43 PM

What?! CAN DO THAT?!!! Omg i'm gonna be a meanie and make fun of a friend who spent around RM100 playing. He said it looked easy but each time also fail

Eh wanna ask, I know Universal Studio has Express Pass - does Disney offer them as well?

And I agree on the AirBnB part. I came back in Jan (this year) from Nagoya and there was no issue.

I can understand. I went for the first time in March last year but it was such a short trip that I came home feeling very dissatisfied. Flew there again in Nov for autumn. And then an adhoc trip end of Dec-Jan '17 HAHAHA everyone said i overdid it but I find that people who has been to Japan will... understand the feeling of wanting to return again and again.

Going with strangers? Even sometimes going with friends could result in disagreement hahahaha isn't it worse with strangers??

LOLLL!!!! Or if the one asking is good looking

Yes indeed, I understand. The only place I will ever visit from now on (out of Malaysia) will be Japan my goal - 1 Japan trip each year! But perhaps have to skip this year.

Omg how one phrase makes wonder. Such a good idea! Will get one of my friend to try this next time hahahaha

4 prizes though? but its not possible to keep saying "muzukashi desu nee" in 4 different machines loll!

My sensei said not within the short term. In fact, its better you buy the currency now (its relatively cheap, RM39.45) and keep it if you're going for trip in the upcoming few months. Yen might keep going up because of our weak currency.

Optionally, stay in airBnB that offers free pocket wifi! did that in March and Nov trip, saved on that ^___^

Or, for those who stays in Hotel and need to rent a pocket Wifi, try Klook. Download the app KLOOK and look under the Travel & WIFI category. Saw one that costs 500yen per day (RM20 per day). Try to check if there's any cheaper alternative/ options.

Thanks for the detailed info Disney isn't really my type of a thing (i'm no Disney princess) but still worth checking out at least once I suppose? Due to childhood's sake HAHAHA. Won't be possible for my 2018 trip but perhaps 2019 or 2020 if I could make another trip to Tokyo.

I suppose 2 days will be needed for both Disneyland and Sea ya (1 day each)?

August will be kinda hot though no, rephrase: very hot. Why choose August?? Hey, no friends can backpack and make new friends there?

WUT hahaha so mahal! But but but perhaps with that money I could buy the toy ady I shall give it a shot but probably only once or twice.

Yes!!!! I bought JAL but departure from KUL-NRT is MAS. However NRT-KUL was operated by JAL and it was comfortable. I had an enjoyable flight

You mean AirBnB? I experienced something similar in November. 1.5 weeks prior to my trip, I received an email from the airBnB host that they had to cancel my booking because they were not allowed to rent out the apartment anymore. Perhaps previous guests were too noisy/ didn't adhere to rules and the residents complaint.

Solution was: they offered me another accommodation owned in Shinjuku. After checking out the place (and it less comfortable for 3 people), i decided to cancel the booking and rent another place instead. The money was fully refunded to me (it was very fast, within a day or two?).

Yes I agree it wasn't pleasant to have my booking cancelled last minute especially when I booked it 4-5 months in advance. I actually panicked at first, and was wondering what to tell my friends. Luckily everything worked out in the end

You can consider Nikko, Kamakura, Hakone, Fuji 5 Lakes, Yokohama etc.

Here's some info/ reference: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3051.html

Eh only possible if flight is super cheap. My friend only spent RM3.9 for the whole Nagoya-Takayama-Shirakawa-Go-Nagoya trip. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT. Our flight was RM890 via Vietnam Airline ...and we managed to purchase the Seishun Kippu on the very last day (of sale). Thank god, and we fully utilized it. Even went to Nabana no Sato in Kuwana: http://www.nagashima-onsen.co.jp:8010/page.jsp?id=13894 ...He works in Singapore, so that's just $1,300 for him *rips pillow*

Must you make calls? Otherwise just get a WIFI router and share. Sure more than enough.

Vietnam Air was surprisingly good. Had to transit for my Nagoya trip (KUL-HCM / HCM-NGY) but the ride was pretty comfortable. Seats and leg room better than MAS (economy flight, not joking here) and although, there's no personal screen for in-flight entertainment, I've got my own tab with songs and videos.

I agree with the others' comments that RM10k is in fact, a surplus for 3 of you including your child. Since your son is only 5, a lot of things will either be free of charge or only half price/ minimum fee.

Definitely not. I went Tokyo 10 days and there was so much I didn't manage to do.
When will you be travelling?

You can do Hakone-Kawaguchiko 3 days 2 nights to explore the place in depth. You can also opt to do side trips to places outside Tokyo (estimated at 1-2 hours away from Tokyo) like Nikko for 2Days 1Night or just day trip. Same for Kamakura and Yokohama. There's so much to do that there'll never be enough time!!

This post has been edited by sweet_pez: Mar 9 2017, 06:05 PM

I think mid-April is fine

I've only been to Hakone, Takao-san and Kawagoe. If you don't have much time, I would recommend to skip Kawagoe because... its too commercialized (for me, that is) and there wasn't much space for pedestrians to walk. All the main roads remain accessible for cars so its really cramped/ narrow. But still, its a good stroll.

Here's some suggestion for side trips (out of Tokyo city) that you can consider.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3051.html

Eh they're replacing the Gundam with something else, just that not sure if it'll be up by mid-April. I still believe you should visit Odaiba because Diver City is nice to shop/ walk around. There are several souvenir shops that's pretty big, and do enjoy the food court as they serve a variety of food.

And besides, couldn't say no to the beautiful view from the deck
P/S: its even better at night!

Noooooooooooooooo. I still suggest to go Tokyo Tower! It is one of the icon of Jepangggg. Maybe just choose either Tokyo Tower or Skytree for the view. Also, can always drop by Tokyo Tower to take photos from outside, and go up to the 1st and 2nd floor to shop/ walk around and not necessarily pay for the observation deck.

And its even more of a MUST-GO if you're a One Piece fan ONE PIECE TOWER! LUFFY AND CHOPPER STATUE OUTSIDE! MUGIWARA STORE! SANJI RESTORAN! kyaaaaaaaa *huge fan*

Ueno and Akihabara is awesome, I could go around in Akiba whole day and not finish with shopping! But Tokyo Skytree is really nice - especially the Tokyo Solamachi. Next time do drop by

There's always a better and free option guess where I went for night view??

Hahahaha no no, it isn't.

Most people know of the Tokyo Metropolitan Building but not so much of Yebisu's Garden Tower. Its actually an office building, but the 38th and 39th floor are restaurants. However, you can go up to the 38th floor and there's a row of panels (glass) where you can check out the night view. Its open for public and you don't have to dine in to visit.

I love how I could see the beautiful night illuminations especially the Tokyo Tower! If you're in Tokyo Tower, you could see the other places but couldn't take photo of the tower with the night scene. But from Yebisu (which is, 15-20min away from Shibuya), you could clearly see Tokyo Tower

Btw that shot is taken using my Samsung phone nia

This post has been edited by sweet_pez: Mar 10 2017, 03:57 PM

Ahh but its indeed a risk in my first trip, landed 30min earlier than expected but was stuck in immigration for pretty long. We managed to catch the last train (my friend said so). Perhaps it'll also have to depend which day of the week you land, as I believe the train operates differently on a weekday/ weekend.

Hmmm but early Sept is the start of autumn. If you're looking towards experiencing fall, it has to be the peak season

Ehhhh really? Now I know hahaha. But AA's Tokyo flight timing isn't the best, I'm always worried its delayed.

True that. Considering AA's flight is say, around RM1.3k including baggage, I'd rather top up a little for ANA or JAL. Unless the price difference is huge, eg half or more.

Why not if you manage to get cheap flights but you'll need to be ready to compromise in terms of comfort.

Yes its alright because all money is paid to airBnB. If anything goes wrong, the organization will reimburse you, otherwise imagine trying to chase money from the host. I don't think anyone would want to risk it.

One thing though, is to check reviews before booking. Ensure that the place is what it seems, because some host may say their accommodation near to train station but reviews may say otherwise

It is not impossible if you really budget and don't shop (much). However to be safe, bring additional RM1-2k as emergency cash in case you need it. Its not that expensive. My friend only spent RM3,900 for the whole trip including accommodation and flight. Not to mention, our transport was quite costly because we went from Nagoya to Takayama, then to Shirakawa-Go and back.

Yep no harm in bringing a bit more

Really ah??? Need at least JLPT 2 to understand the movie

Its quite time consuming because have to queue for number, and then return to queue again for your meal. However, have not personally tried it, just heard from friends' experience (plus some own research). If time permits in my next trip, will prolly give it a shot too hahaha